The schedule called for Hyun-Jin Ryu to throw a light bullpen session Monday morning, and the left-hander completed the assignment without incident. He took the mound after three days off, a concession to the shoulder surgery that cost him all of 2015 and a hint at how his employers will handle him this spring.

The Dodgers will practice caution as Ryu returns in 2016. Before the workout, Manager Dave Roberts suggested Ryu is about two weeks behind his teammates “give or take a couple weeks.”

The team intends to use Ryu in Cactus League games, but has not revealed a target date for his spring debut.

“He’s certainly behind,” Roberts said at Camelback Ranch. “And that’s by design, in the sense that we don’t want to push him.”

Despite the caveat, the uncertainty with Ryu suggests it would be doubtful to expect him to be ready for the first week of the season. The organization would more likely lean upon other in-house options like Alex Wood or Mike Bolsinger until Ryu demonstrates he can return.

Yasiel Puig is the subject of one of the investigations, along with New York Yankees reliever Aroldis Chapman and Colorado Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes.

Manfred declined to specify which two cases he has decided.

Kenta Maeda and Dave Roberts exchange gifts

During their meeting Sunday afternoon, Kenta Maeda exchanged omiyage, the traditional Japanese gifts, with Roberts.

Maeda offered Roberts a box of crackers that Roberts ate as a child growing up in Okinawa. Roberts countered by giving Maeda a baseball to help Maeda adjust to life away from Nippon Professional Baseball.

“The ball is a little different, so I wanted him to mess with the baseball away from the ballpark and get familiar with it,” Roberts said.

Andrew Friedman slipped behind a fleet of Dodgers coaches and players as he walked toward the far end of a 10-pack of bullpen mounds. He leaned against a chain-link fence, crossed his arms and gazed upon the most curious purchase of the Dodgers' off-season: Japanese pitcher Kenta Maeda.

In Maeda's...

Andrew Friedman slipped behind a fleet of Dodgers coaches and players as he walked toward the far end of a 10-pack of bullpen mounds. He leaned against a chain-link fence, crossed his arms and gazed upon the most curious purchase of the Dodgers' off-season: Japanese pitcher Kenta Maeda.

In Maeda's...

(Andy McCullough)

Farhan Zaidi speaks highly of Andre Ethier

Andre Ethier, who was second on the Dodgers in on-base plus slugging percentage last season, will earn a no-trade clause in April if he remains with the team as part of his 10-and-five rights.

Ethier has often been the subject of trade rumors in recent years, but General Manager Farhan Zaidi downplayed the team’s interested in shipping out Ethier.

“When a guy is an important and productive part of your team, you don’t spend your time worrying about whether you can trade him,” Zaidi said.

Hair to stay

Don’t expect Roberts to follow the example of Don Mattingly, his predecessor as manager, when it comes to grooming policies. Now the manager of the Miami Marlins, Mattingly has banned facial hair among the team’s players.

They don’t have an answer now, and if they did, it would probably change by tomorrow. They clearly do not have the prototypical leadoff hitter. They did have one, but they traded Dee Gordon to the Marlins...

They don’t have an answer now, and if they did, it would probably change by tomorrow. They clearly do not have the prototypical leadoff hitter. They did have one, but they traded Dee Gordon to the Marlins...

(Steve Dilbeck)

The news made Roberts smile. The Dodgers will not implement a similar policy.

“To each his own,” Roberts said. “I think that every organization is different. Certain managers and organizations pick their battles and have certain things they want to stand by. I hope it works out for them.”

Even so, Roberts does not plan to grow back his goatee. Too many gray hairs, he explained.